Digital Commons Network^™

Do Poor Countries Catch Up To Rich Countries? Structural Change In The World-Economy, 1816-1916, Jared Walker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Do poor countries catch up to rich countries? To answer that question, countries were divided into upper class (core), middle class (semi-periphery), and lower class (periphery) based on degree of industrialization as indicated by primary energy consumption data. Findings indicated twenty-three upward transitions and five downward transitions during the period examined. Asymmetrical upward mobility was understood in the context of geographic expansion of the system. This sufficiently increased the population of the lower class (periphery) to support larger populations in the middle class (semi-periphery) and upper class (core). Nevertheless, probability analysis indicated a stable system characterized by high levels of …

“Get Tough!”: A Case Study On The Development Of The Sport Ethic In Youth Lacrosse, Ross Budziszewski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

While participation in youth sport is often linked with positive psychosocial and physical outcomes (Holt et al., 2017), this context can also cultivate ideals that lead to the development of unethical beliefs as well as unsafe sport practices (Al-Yaarbi & Kavussanu, 2017). The sport ethic is described as the deviant overconformity by an athlete to fit societal expectations of a sport’s high-performance culture (Hughes & Coakley, 1991). Strong beliefs in the sport ethic can lead to moral disengagement, antisocial behavior, and viewing sport like warfare (Shields, Funk, & Bredemeier, 2015). Although the sport ethic has been examined in competitive adult …

Identifying And Assessing Conflicts Between Future Development And Current Migratory Bird Habitat Around Farmington Bay, Utah, Aubin A. Douglas

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Every year, the Great Salt Lake (GSL) and its associated wetlands provide critical habitat for over 250 migratory bird species from both the Pacific and Central Flyways. The GSL borders the Wasatch Front, which is the fastest growing and most populous region in Utah. To support the ever-increasing working population, the government of Utah aspires to increase the robust economic growth of the region through economic incentives and development of infrastructure. As this area continues to develop, greater pressure will be placed on the surrounding natural resources, including the GSL, its wetlands, and the open space and agricultural land that …

Language Brokering Consequences As A Function Of Development, Brent M. Gage

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Language brokering can be defined as a child mediating linguistically for a parent or other adult figure, either in spoken or written communication. This situation is a common occurrence among migrant and refugee families as children tend to acquire a new language at an accelerated rate in comparison with adults. As the immigrant and refugee populations continue to grow in comparison with native groups within the United States, it is increasingly important to understand the phenomenon of child language brokering. Moreover, it is particularly relevant to understand how the expectations for and consequences of language brokering may help to shape …

Framing Fracking: Media Coverage Of Unconventional Oil And Gas Development In South Texas, Jebadiha E. Potterf

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas development in the United States has greatly increased the production of these minerals, but has also raised the public’s concern over the dangers involved in this process. Due to the contested nature of unconventional development gaining an understanding of both how the public perceives this development and the influences on these perceptions is vital. As several previous research studies have investigated public perceptions this project addresses the second of these requirements.

This is done using qualitative methods to analyze the content of the online communications of proponents and opponents of this development. …

Nutritional And Economic Analysis Of Small-Scale Agriculture In Imbabura, Ecuador, Jake Erickson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Intervention projects in the developing world normally aim to satisfy either the nutritional needs of a group, or advancing the economic stability, but not both. One of the many issues that may arise by narrowly focusing and creating an aid program is that although a group may be fed, they are not equipped to mitigate risks that will arise after project completion and thus continue or revert back to a malnourished state. A bridge is required to join the economic and nutritional programs to create aid interventions that are sustainable past the point of donor separation.

This paper proposes the …

Narrative Development In Preschool And School-Age Children, Sara Hegsted

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Children hear and use narratives in a variety of contexts including school, social situations, and at home. A narrative is a form of discourse that is used to tell the listener what happened in a temporally sequenced, agent-focused way, and these stories can be a production of a real or fictional account. Speech language pathologists take a particular interest in children's narrative abilities because children's story telling capabilities play a large role in language acquisition as well as future academic success, especially literacy. The following literature review seeks to synthesize information on narrative development, production, and intervention from the perspective …

Father-Child Interactions At 24 And 36 Months And Developmental Outcomes At Prekindergarten, Shareesa L. Mcmurdie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study looked at father teaching interactions and singing in toddlerhood as predictors of child cognitive and language outcomes at prekindergarten in a low-income, ethnically diverse sample. Results found that, overall, father teaching interactions in toddlerhood predicted child cognitive and language outcomes at prekindergarten and father singing in toddlerhood predicted language outcomes. Fathers provided slightly more teaching interactions at child age 24 months than at 36 months, and sang more frequently at 36 months.

Within ethnic groups, father teaching interactions were statistically significant in predicting cognitive and language development outcomes for children of African American (approached significance for language outcomes) …

The Intersection Of Multiple Oppressed Identities: Implications For Identity Development, Angela Marie Enno

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the experiences and identity development of ethnic minority LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning) individuals presents a challenge because the theories of identity development that exist to date may not take into account their unique perspectives. Theories of identity development that are not specific to ethnic minority or LGBTQ identities may not represent their experiences well. At the same time, theories of ethnic identity development may not fit for individuals who are LGBTQ; and theories of LGBTQ identity development may not fit for ethnic minorities. No theory of identity development to date takes into account all …

Cultural Compatibility: Economic Development In Eastern Europe, Daniel Brilliant

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The objective of Daniel Brilliant’s research is to explore the relationship between culture and economic prosperity in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe. Learning why some of these countries do better than others is of interest in discovering what causes a country’s economy to grow in general. Knowing the causes of economic growth helps in determining what policies, if any, can be adopted by a country to help promote economic growth. Some have theorized that government policies are at the heart of prosperity. Others have speculated that cultural factors play a large role in determining if such policies will …

Successfully Incorporating The Participant Perspective: Analysis Of Participatory Research In Development, Zachary T. Revene

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Literature from recent decades has highlighted the importance of incorporating the perspective of communities into development project planning and implementation. In this project, the participant perspective was documented through qualitative ethnographic techniques and illustrates the different ways in which this perspective was either included or excluded in two separate case studies along the northern coast of Peru. The case study of huachaque farmers surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chan Chan provided an example of the general failure to incorporate the participant perspective into planning of future biodiversity conservation projects. The case study of Huaca Chotuna provided an example …

Cell Phone Use And Psychosocial Development Among Emerging Adults, Torrey B. Morrill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The cell phone has rapidly become an integral, and, for some, an essential communication tool that is being used worldwide. With cell phone ownership becoming so widespread, especially among the younger generation, society is starting to see and question the impacts of cell phone use on adolescent development.

Relations between cell phone possession, cell phone use, and psychosocial and identity development were investigated using Erikson's Psychosocial Theory and Marcia's Adolescent Identity Paradigm. A sample of 705 college students, ages 18-24, completed a questionnaire that measured the amount and type of cell phone use, identity development (Extended Objective Measure of Ego …

Identity Development, Identity Disclosure, And Identity Exploration Among Adolescent Sexual Minorities, Jenna A. Glover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the utility of applying the social constructionist perspective to adolescent sexual minority identity development, disclosure, and identity explorations. Differences between middle and late adolescents and male and females were examined. No differences were found between middle and late adolescents on measures of identity development and identity exploration; however, differences in identity disclosure were found regarding history of accidental discovery of sexual orientation. Biological sex differences were found for identity development, disclosure, and exploration. Relationships between same- and opposite-sex attractions, behaviors, romantic experiences, and self-labels are presented. Trends in intentional disclosure patterns and unintentional discovery identify predicted reaction …

Planning For The Future Of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Dianna L. Payne Broadbent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This descriptive study examined the current status of future planning preparation by caregivers for individuals with developmental disabilities, including mental retardation (DD/MR) in the State of Utah. Other descriptive variables identified areas of planning in which the caregivers required assistance, perceived barriers to future planning, and preferences regarding conveyance of planning information.

Persons with developmental disabilities were identified by the state computer system as either on the waiting list for or currently receiving services through the Division of Services for People with Disabilities. The targeted sample was narrowed to persons with developmental disabilities over the age of 20 years who …

Language, Social Interactions, And Attention As Predictors Of Reading Development In Second Grade, Lisa A. Newland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social interactions between 153 mother-infant dyads in the laboratory were examined for associations with language and play preferences when infants were 14 months old. Later associations with reading skills, attention, and book reading were examined at the end of second grade. Mothers and infants were videotaped in a 20-minute laboratory observation at 14 months, and joint visual attention and social toy play were coded from the interactions. Language was assessed at 14 months using a standardized instrument, and mothers rated their own and their infants' preferences for specific types of play. A follow-up study, conducted at the end of second …

Children's Stress Behaviors And Developmentally Appropriate Practice In Family Child Care Homes, Chih-Ying Chang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated and qualitatively compared differences in children's stress reactions across two levels of developmentally appropriate practice in family child care homes. Data were collected through observations.

Six children, five boys and one girl from six different family child care homes, between the ages of 36 and 60 months, were observed for the type and frequency of stress behaviors. The six family child care homes were divided into two groups based on more or less use of appropriate practices, and they were observed for the use of appropriate practices. Three one-hour observations were held in each family child care …

A Case Study Of The Undergraduate Biomedical Research Component Of A Federally Funded Minority Student Development Program, Nancy A. Drickey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tremendous growth in the biomedical science workforce has increased the need for trained scientists. The current workforce is severely underrepresented by minority groups, particularly Native Americans. To address this issue, the federal government funded programs that encouraged Native American students to participate in undergraduate biomedical science courses and research. One such program, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is the Minority Student Development Program at Northern Arizona University. Little research has been done on educational programs for minority populations.

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe qualities and characteristics of the undergraduate research component of the …

Peer Groups And Adolescent Development In Traditional And Alternative High Schools, Diana D. Coyl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the influence of peer relationships on students who have a history of school difficulties. Peer Relationship Surveys I and II assessed school-based peer group status, relationship qualities, school-related behaviors, attitudes, and intentions (BAIs); substance (i.e., alcohol and tobacco) use; and identity development in relation to experiences at traditional (survey I, retrospective accounts) and alternative high schools (survey II). Both surveys were administered in five classrooms to students at an alternative high school (i.e. Cache High) during the first academic term (August 1999) and in January 2000. Eighty-five and 83 predominantly Caucasian adolescents between the ages of 15 …

Essays On The Impact Of Foreign Aid On Economic Growth And Development: The Case Of Jordan, Jamal G. Husein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation examines the role of foreign aid in economic growth and development of Jordan. The flow of foreign capital takes two main forms: private foreign investment, mostly foreign direct investment by large multinational corporations, and public development assistance (foreign aid) from both individual national governments and multinational donor agencies. The distinguishing characteristic of foreign aid is the concessional element. In this dissertation, recent techniques and advances in time-series analysis are used in the empirical section of Chapters 2 and 3, i.e., vector autoregression (VAR), impulse response functions, and variance decompositions. In the fourth chapter, we use a nonlinear three-stage …

Therapy Videotape Presentation For Eating Disorder Clients: Development And Evaluation, Benita J. Quakenbush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating disorder clients show low motivation, poor follow-through, and inordinate premature dropout rates in treatment. Earlier studies support the use of pretherapy training to help clients understand the tasks and challenges of therapy. However, a pretherapy intervention, such as showing prospective clients a video that outlines recovery issues and themes, had not yet been developed specifically for the prevalent, recalcitrant problem of eating disorders. Thus, of particular interest to clinicians who treat eating disorders may be the development of a theoretically sound, pretherapy videotape that outlines recovery issues.

One of the purposes of this study was to review prior investigations …

Competence And Acceptance Of Children With Developmental Disabilities: An Examination Of Self-Concept, Cindy S. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship of the self-concepts of a sample of 248 children with developmental disabilities with demographic variables and measures of child functioning and family situational variables. In addition, responses on a measure of self-concept were compared with those of a normative sample provided by Harter. Results indicated that, using this measure and these populations, there were no differences in the self-concept of children with disabilities and those without disabilities. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that children's cognitive achievement and independent functioning skills were moderately related to their self-concepts, but demographic variables and family …

Pubertal Development, Parent-Teen Communication, And Sexual Values As Predictors Of Adolescent Sexual Intentions And Sexually Related Behaviors, Cynthia R. Christopherson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescent sexual intercourse can be viewed as a normal developmental experience, but intercourse also is linked to unplanned pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Consequently, there continues to be a high level of scientific interest in understanding antecedents of adolescent sexual behavior, especially early and more risky sexual intercourse. This study examined several key antecedents of adolescent sexual intentions and behavior, including pubertal development (pubertal status, change over time, and pubertal timing), parent/teen communication, and teen sexual values. Analyses were based on longitudinal data collected in 1991, 1992, and 1993 from parents and teens during …

Development And Validation Of A Systematic Training Program For The Diagnosis Of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, And Concomitant Conditions, Lind K. Todd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The research concerning eating disorders and concomitant conditions shows that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are serious disorders that pose many diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to mental health and nutrition professionals. Most psychologists and nutritionists receive broad-based training that likely only superficially touches upon the importance of these diagnostic issues. Nevertheless, effective treatment planning requires that diagnostic issues and concomitant conditions be evaluated and incorporated into the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. Thus, there is an increasing need for specialized training in order to better evaluate and treat the complicated clinical picture presented by eating disorder clients.

However to …

The Development Of An Instrument For The Assessment Of Obesity-Related Cognitions, David E. Christian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation involved the design and validation of the Obesity Cognitions Inventory (OCI) which was intended to quantify cognitions associated with obesity. An initial pool of 117 items was refined through expert ratings, a pilot test involving 59 subjects, and a major test and validation using 217 subjects.

The resulting 56-item instrument contains scales measuring five types of cognitions: Personal Control, Dietary Restraint, Cost-Benefit Beliefs, Health Knowledge, and Self-Concept. Test-retest reliabilities for these scales range from .69 to .83 and Cronbach alphas range from .57 to .82. Concurrent criterion validity of the OCI was assessed through two methods (a) correlations …

Correlations Between Ego Identity Development And Career Development, Kenyon M. Watkins

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

There are numerous ways in which people choose their occupation. Some choose a career by simply asking their parents or friends for their opinion on what would be a good occupation. Others may talk to people in the occupation, or go to the library to gather information about occupations that are of interest. Because of the importance of the career choice to the individual's well-being and productivity in a career, some try a more organized approach. A career counselor, who can utilize tests to aid in the search process as well as provide information on occupations, can be a valuable …

The Development Of Print Awareness In Four-Year-Old Children, Barbara Ann Bybee Glover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Participants for this study were 56 four-year-old children and their parents. All children were enrolled or on a waiting list to be enrolled in a preschool program in the Cache Valley area. A parent questionnaire and environmental assessment were utilized to determine whether a) the physical environment, b) behaviors of parents, and c) birth order of children is related to development of print awareness as measured by a print awareness test.

A variety of statistical analyses was used to explore relationships among the above variables. Major findings suggest that the behaviors that reflect parents' attitudes regarding literacy are most important …

Family Relations Factors That Facilitate Or Inhibit Middle Adolescent Identity Development, Patricia Hyjer Dyk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The formation of a sense of personal identity is a major task of adolescence. An adolescent's experimentation with roles is carried out in social interactions, the family being one important context for development. Research evidence suggests that the family's ability to tolerate individuality and maintain connectedness has implications for the process of identity formation.

The purpose of this study was to identify family relations factors that facilitate or inhibit patterns of identity development during middle adolescence (high school years). Self-report and observational data were obtained from 49 families with middle adolescents to tap behaviors conceptualized as enabling or constraining individuality …

The Development And Validation Of A System For The Knowledge-Based Tutoring Of Special Education Rules And Regulations, Mark S. Thornburg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research indicates that school officials fail to identify a relatively high proportion of school-aged children with behavioral or emotional handicaps. As a result, these children may not be receiving the special education services to which they are entitled. Multidisciplinary team members may be failing to identify these children because they lack understanding of special education rules and regulations. The purpose of this project was to combine the technologies of expert systems and mastery-based instruction to develop an inservice and preservice training program capable of producing mastery-level performance of the skills required to identify children with behavioral or emotional handicaps. Borg …

An Historical Overview Of The Evolutions Of Institutions Dealing With Water Resource Use And Water Resource Development In Utah 1847 Through 1947, John Swenson Harvey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis studies the development of social and legal institutions that have controlled the pattern of water development in Utah from 1847 to 1947. The thesis is divided into three parts to facilitate the study of the diverse influences on water development. The first part deals with the mormon church and pioneer influences and private development during the late 1800s. The second begins with statehood and records the changes in the state's institutions up to 1947. The third part is a summary of the entire process. It relates pioneer, private, and state influences to each other and the current (1989) …

The Development Of The Stress-Response Scale For Adolescents, Steven Curtis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescence is an important period in the life cycle for which to study stress, due to the many involved developmental changes that require adaptation. This adaptation can be very stressful and result in pathology. Stress is defined as a "process" involving a continual transaction between stressors in the environment, mediating variables, and stress responses.

The Stress-Response Scale for Adolescents (SRSA) was developed to measure self-perceived stress responses of those between the ages of 14 to 20. The SRSA's development involved three studies. Study 1 involved item selection, scale construction, item reduction, and estimations of internal consistency and validity. Truthfulness items …